Planting a Pollinator Garden in the Late Summer and Fall

Gardeners can play an invaluable role in supporting pollinators health by planting native species. Combining asters with black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, and sedum can improve garden aesthetics while providing essential food resources for bees through late summer and fall.

Many perennial plants can reseed themselves each year, providing low maintenance options for busy gardeners.

Asters

Asters add vibrancy to gardens during late summer and early fall as many other flower blooms fade, drawing bees and butterflies and providing a rich source of nectar. Not only are asters cold-hardy but they come in a wide range of colors, shapes, heights and deer resistance; additionally their thick rhizomes allow them to self-sow easily.

Plant asters in late August to extend blooms through autumn and into frost, choosing varieties with staggered bloom times for maximum impact. Deadhead spent blossoms as needed and fertilizing twice monthly with an all-purpose balanced fertilizer can promote continued flowering while mulching around their bases will maintain soil moisture and temperature stability.

When planting asters, dig holes approximately twice the size of their nursery pot and amend with compost for improved drainage. Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart depending on variety; tall growing varieties should be supported with stakes or trellises to extend blooming season. Asters don’t tend to require frequent feedings but consistent care can extend blooming seasons by keeping soil pH at optimal levels.

Once established, asters require minimal care once in place; only occasional watering and fertilization may be needed to maintain them. They also benefit from being divided and replanted every 2-3 years to help rejuvenate them.

To keep aster plants from flopping over in heavy rainfall, place a layer of mulch (straw, shredded leaves or wood chips are suitable) at their bases (straw works well), this will also keep weeds at bay while helping the ground retain heat more effectively – encouraging more rapid and vigorous aster growth.

If your asters are winter-hardy in your climate, overwintering is not necessary. If they’re potted plants however, move them to a protected outdoor location with lots of mulch around their roots before the first frost comes along – otherwise simply bring indoors before frost arrives to extend blooming period by repotting into new potting soil with hardening time before transplanting again!

Goldenrod

Goldenrods offer a reliable source of bright yellow nectar to pollinators late in the season. Honey bees and other pollinators will find its dense clusters of flowers an important food source; its seeds provide essential sustenance to many migrating bird species later in the season. For optimal goldenrod display, choose a site with full sun to partial shade conditions with well-drained soil; place nearby tall perennials like Joe Pye Weed, Aster or Golden-eared Squash plants for best display during fall and winter!

North American goldenrod (Solidago) plants come in 75 species that bloom throughout summer and fall, providing numerous advantages in landscape design. While some can tolerate sandy, dry sites, others prefer moist meadows or forest edges for optimal conditions. Some varieties even serve as medicinal herbs to treat tuberculosis, diabetes and arthritis symptoms.

Goldenrod can reach great heights depending on its species; one popular variety, Solidago elegans, forms a wand-like stem reaching two to four feet high that blooms from August through September and thrives best in sunny environments while tolerate light shade conditions as well as various soil types. Ideal as perennial borders or in naturalistic prairie plantings where it pairs nicely with blue asters, aconitums and ornamental grasses, goldenrod thrives well when grown as perennial border plants or as an ornamental grasses companion plants.

Bog goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata) is an eye-catching moisture-loving species that can reach 3 to 5 feet in the garden, ideally placed at the back of perennial borders and beautiful with other moisture-lovers such as swamp milkweed and cardinal flower. Furthermore, this flower makes an excellent addition to a rain garden as its roots help absorb excess rainfall water to prevent standing water in the garden.

Fireworks Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’) is another low-maintenance native goldenrod that earned top ratings during a recent plant evaluation study for its fine-textured foliage, arching stems and abundant yellow flowers. Slower to spread than other goldenrod varieties – remaining under five feet at most times during blooming periods from mid September through late October – it pairs beautifully with tall perennials such as asters, golden-eared squash and rudbeckia for an enhanced aesthetic experience!

Sedum

Sedums are easy to grow and come in an assortment of colors. Long-stemmed varieties such as Autumn Joy are showy blooms for low centerpieces, boutonnieres and small decor pieces; fall and winter bouquets look particularly stunning, and last months in the vase (although their blooms eventually turn to dark-red brown seedheads).

As borders sedums lack flowers to enjoy their beauty all year long, their fleshy green-grey foliage remains attractive even without flowers present. Many border sedums also make excellent groundcovers; particularly those that feature golden or orange-gold foliage such as Angelina or Tricolor varieties. Others such as October Daphne add visual interest with finely textured blue-green leaves and pink blooms – perfect for rock gardens or gravel gardens!

To extend the blooms of tall sedums, prune back by one third anytime from spring through early summer to prevent flopping and encourage branching for later production of more flower stems. If space is an issue, try trailing sedum hybrid ‘Vera Jameson’ that features burgundy stems with mauve flowers in a compact clump formation.

Sedums can be propagated easily from cuttings, and this is an ideal time to do it. Select a healthy stem of about six inches (15 cm). Cut it above one of the nodes where new growth begins, then gently remove any leaves that would sit in the water, and place the cutting in a jar filled with room-temperature water at room temperature. Alter the water frequently in order to prevent stagnation or rot and place in an accessible location such as windowsill or patio table.

Sedums are hardy and drought-tolerant plants, yet they thrive best in full sun with well-draining soil. When planting them in garden beds or containers, find an area in full sunlight with lots of compost or organic matter for maximum health and growth. When growing them in containers use gritty or sandy loam soil with regular fertilizer injection. As they spread they form clumps which need dividing every few years in order to retain full size and beauty – spring is an ideal time for this task as its easier to dig around dense rootballs without harming nearby plants!

Salvias

Salvias (Salvia greggii) have tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies and native bees alike, making it one of the favorite members of the mint family for warm climates. Their tubular blooms attract all three, as well as being deer resistant. Their heat tolerance, drought resistance and deer resistant characteristics provide low maintenance requirements and ornamental value with wide selections such as Furman’s Red, Pink Preference or Violet Riot and Perfect Perfusion compact varieties available for containers to extend blooming seasons further. Mass them together along slopes or hillsides or mixed borders to extend blooming seasons further.

Salvias thrive in bright, open sites. While drought tolerant, they prefer free draining soil with regular application of organic garden fertilizer for vigorous growth. Pineapple Sage (Salvia leucantha) however does best when given access to richer soil amended with compost or manure as its best soil conditions for survival.

Plant a mix of perennials and annuals that bloom at various times to provide food sources for hummingbirds and pollinators all throughout the growing season. Consider planting beardtongue penstemons (Penstemon spp) in spring; tulips and daffodils as bulbs attracted by them; bee balm (Monarda spp) with Larkspur providing midsummer nectar, while cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) attract hummingbirds and pollinators by late summer.

Many varieties of salvias are hardy and suitable for all climates; however, in colder regions you should take extra steps to protect the more tender varieties from frost damage. A layer of evergreen mulch will protect roots and shield plants from frost damage while cutting back tender salvias in late summer can extend their season further. In extreme colder regions you could root cuttings early winter as an extra precaution against frost damage, planting them into containers that can then be moved inside for the winter and transplanting them afterward into your garden or containers to bloom next summer – leaving only root cuttings as an insurance policy against frost damage! Once frost risk has passed transplanting them back into your garden or containers and they’ll be ready to bloom for summer blooming!